NJ Transit Cuts 31 Weekday Trains

Monday, May 24, 2010

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NJ Transit riders should check their schedules this morning. That's because the nation's third-largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit cut is cutting 31 weekday trains, or four percent of its daily load, to plug an ongoing budget deficit.

Commuters will likely have a longer wait for trains, or will find their commute more crowded. The cuts were effective on Sunday, and amount to at least two fewer trains on each line.

Dan Stessel, a NJ Transit spokesman, says most riders won't feel the service cuts because the majority of discontinued runs take place during off-peak hours. In other cases, schedules have been rearranged to reduce waiting time between trains. NJ Transit employees will be monitoring the crowding this week. The agency says it may add longer or multi-level trains if necessary.

The cuts come on top of a 25 percent fare hike that went into effect earlier this month. Some cuts in bus service have already begun; others will be phased in over the coming weeks.